Type: Post graduate lesson / Optional
Specification: Crop Production and Environment Sciences
Coordinator: Ioannis Tokatlidis
Semester: 2 nd
ECTS: 7.5
Teaching: Ioannis Tokatlidis
E-mail: itokatl@agro.duth.gr
Tel: +30/25520 41152
Website:
Only registered users have access to the lesson’s material in the eclass site (announcements,
lectures, projects etc)
Cooperation with the students (via email)

Description:
The lesson revolves around the intra-crop competition that pertains to the plant-toplant variation within the crop stand, stemming from genetically and/or environmentally induced sources. The intra-crop competition is an essential parameter that affects the cropping systems with implications in breeding. The lesson deals with the sense and sources of intra-crop competition in the various cropping systems (intraκαι inter-species competition), as well as its implications on the effectiveness in resource use and stability of intensive and low-input agriculture. It concerns the interaction between genotype competitive and yielding ability and the concomitant implication of intra-species competition on selection efficiency. Selection strategy specific to breed varieties for each particular agricultural system is analyzed in terms of adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses and resilience to fluctuating environments. Procedures to conserve, qualify and exploit the genetic variability that landraces offer are discussed. Further, an approach of conservation breeding of elite varieties is a major issue, targeting optimization of the breeder-seed. Last but not least, an emphasis is placed on a breeding approach for open pollinated varieties in crosspollinating crops.

Site of the lesson (eclass):
https://eclass.duth.gr/courses/GEO110/

Relative literature can be found in the faculty’s library:
Hayward M.D., Bosemark N.O., and Romagosa I. 1993. Plant Breeding: Principles and
Prospects. Chapman and Hall, London.
Poehlman J.M and Sleper D.A. 1995. Breeding Field Crops. Blackwell Publishing, Iowa,
USA

Fasoulas A.C. 1993. Principles of Crop Breeding. A.C. Fasoulas, P.O. Box 1555, GR 54006,
Thessaloniki 17, Greece

Additional literature will be available for the registered users of the lesson’s site (e-class).

Expected results and outputs It is targeted students to be able to:
 develop breeding strategies for sustainable genetic variability
 qualify genetic pools as breeding source material
 apply procedures to beneficially exploit the genetic variability of the source material
 choose an appropriate breeding approach to developing varieties for a particular cropping system
 approximate by means of breeding adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses
 develop a breeding strategy to secure the longevity of elite varieties

Qualification of students:
The main method is written exercise at the end of the semester. In addition, students have to
prepare and present a literature (review) assignment.

Final score: It is the sum of the following (max score: 100 degrees):
1. Written exercise: 70 degrees
2. Assignment: 30 degrees

Syllabus of the courses ‘Specific Issues of Plant Breeding’

The sense of intra-crop competition and its implications for various cropping systems
Intra-species competition and efficiency in resource use
Phenotypic expression and differentiation in relation to the intra-species genetic competition
The relationship between genotype competitive and yielding ability
Implications of intra-species competition on selection efficiency
Breeding strategy for different cropping systems Ioannis Tokatlidis
Qualification and conservation of the naturally existed genetic variability
Beneficial exploitation of the natural genetic variability targeting sustainable agro-ecosystems
Breeding targeting crop adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses
Breeding strategy aiming a flexible and plastic agriculture to combat fluctuating environment
Breeding for improved open-pollinated populations in cross-pollinating crops
Genetic mechanisms creating new exploitable genetic variation in cultivated varieties
Conservation breeding to secure longevity of the cultivated varieties
14th Submission/presentation of the review assignment
15th Written exercise